Culinary Arts students gain invaluable skills and knowledge which are necessary to compete in post-secondary education

College Credits

Articulation with SUNY Adirondack

Safety & Sanitation 3 credits Dual Enrollment Lake Region Community College

Certifications

ServSafe Manager Certification
American Heart Association Heartsaver® CPR/AED
Prostart Certification
ACT National Career Readiness Certificate

APPLY

Advisory Committee

J. Paul “Brownie” Brown— Rutland Country Club
Brittany Chase – Rutland Country Club FOH Manager
Dave Gillam— McCauley’s Food Service
Connie Mendall— Occasions Catering
Donna Vargas— Former Culinary Arts Instructor
Ken Shattuck— Hannaford Bakery
Valerie Carara— Performance Foods Sales Associate
Lisa Fennimore— Marble Valley Kitchen & Catering
Barry Ferraro— Local Chef
TIna Wilson — Performance Foods

Students will develop food service and employability skills which will serve them throughout their lives. Typically, several students from each class will continue their education by attending culinary school after Stafford. Other students will work in the food industry directly following high school, and the remainder may pursue other paths in service industries or business. By the end of the program students will be able to: exhibit effective communication skills, demonstrate employability and career readiness, apply safety and sanitation techniques, demonstrate food preparation skills, apply basic principles of nutrition, demonstrate an understanding of how to operate a food service business, use marketing as a tool to sell food to customers, and demonstrate professionalism in a workplace.

What We Do

Students manage and operate three businesses on and off campus. Our students are part of a community where everyone is responsible for the finished products and are professionals in the industry at all times. Students are trained with front and back of house etiquette and introduced to modern kitchen equipment and technology which can also be found in culinary and hospitality careers. Students have an opportunity to compete in SkillsUSA an other events at Stafford where they can implement their talents for scholar recognition and portfolio building.

Entry Requirements

Recommended Prerequisites: Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide whole numbers, fractions and decimals; measuring skills (weight and volume); ability to convert units of measure; adhere to ratio guidelines; simple money math; competency with fine motor skills; ability to work as part of a team and independently; effective communication skills; ability to thrive in a fast-paced, noisy, warm, physically demanding environment.

Reading Level of class materials: ProStart 1 & 2 textbooks at levels 9-10, The Professional Chef college-level textbook, and Introduction to Culinary Arts college-level textbook, recipe comprehension level 10-12

Special Consideration: Due to state proficiencies and regulations, this program works with food in all categories. Students with airborne food allergies should consider their ability to be a part of the program safely.

Embedded Credits: 1 Science OR 1 Math

Scales for standards assessed

Program Instructor – Hilary Lambert

(802) 770-1041

Program Assistant – Shyanna Wanner

Chef Wanner joined the Culinary Arts program in January of 2025, she is also an alumnus of the program graduating as a third-year student in 2016. Chef Wanner

has over 10 years of experience in the culinary field. Between working in fine dining, and catering, and being a head chef at a local nursing home, she hopes to help kids learn about the wide variety of options in the culinary industry. In Chef Wanner’s free time, she enjoys spending time with her family whether it be a day at the lake or a week exploring a new state.

sh************@****vt.org (802) 770-1041

Culinary Arts

The left side of the graphic includes the Stafford Technical Center logo and the phrase:

Career Tree – Education with Purpose

This infographic uses the image of a large tree to illustrate career pathways in Culinary Arts.

The tree begins with roots that represent the personal and educational foundation needed for career success. The trunk symbolizes growth, and the tree branches into three progressively higher levels of careers represented by layered platforms surrounding the tree.

Graphic Structure

Foundation (Roots)

The roots of the tree are labeled with four foundational elements:

Academics
Experiences
Professional Skills
Passion

These elements are presented as the basis for career development.

Level 1 – Entry-Level Careers

With Program Completion

Examples include:

Prep Cook
Waitstaff
Food Blogger
Cruise Ship Cook
Baker
Cake Designer
Entrepreneur
Barista
Resort/Stadium Cook
Bartender/Mixologist
Host/Hostess
Innkeeper

Level 2 – Technical Careers

Apprenticeship, Associate Degree, Advanced Certification, Experience, etc.

Career options include:

Executive Chef
Pastry Chef
Food & Beverage Manager
Farmer
Cheesemaker
Food Photographer
Personal Chef
Chocolatier
Food Truck Owner
Caterer
Food Journalist/Writer
Orchard Manager

Level 3 – Professional Careers

Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree, Ph.D., Specialized Training, Experience, etc.